Lisa Allen shows her love of seasonal and organic produce with this ultimate summer barbecue recipe, using quality corn-fed chicken (infused with beer as it cooks) and a side of vibrant summer beans. A delicious garlic bread is the perfect accompaniment to share, and can be made ahead of time. Beer can chicken holders are easy to find online, but otherwise you could use a deep tray to hold the chicken upright while cooking.

For the chicken, remove the wishbone with a sharp knife, then make 3 incisions into each of the legs of the chicken

2kg free-range chicken

2

In a bowl, mix 70ml of the beer with the rest of the marinade ingredients to make a paste, rub the paste into the chicken all over, place into a ziplock bag and seal. Leave to marinade for 3 hours in the fridge

70ml of lager beer

90g of malt extract

2g of chilli powder

2g of mustard powder

2g of smoked paprika

2g of dark muscavado sugar

1 garlic clove, crushed

3

After 3 hours add the rest of the beer and reseal in the bag, then leave for 24 hours to marinate then remove from the bag and pat dry with a cloth

500ml of lager beer

4

Rub the butter under the skin and around the chicken, then season the whole chicken with salt

150g of butter

2g of salt

5

Open the can of beer and pour out a little of the beer so it's not quite full. Place the can into a beer can chicken holder (or prop up in a deep tray) then place the chicken onto the holder

300ml of lager beer, in a can

6

Place the chicken onto a hot barbecue or in an oven at 190°C. Cook for 40 minutes (or until cooked through), basting the chicken twice during cooking. Once cooked, remove from the barbecue or oven, and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving

7

To make the chicken sauce, in a heavy-based pan add the oil and caramelize the onions for 2–3 minutes. Add the chicken bones, garlic and thyme cook for a further 3–4 minutes

1 tbsp of olive oil

100g of onion, sliced

600g of chicken bones, roasted

1 garlic clove

2 sprigs of thyme

8

Add the Madeira and reduce the sauce by three-quarters, then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce by half until it reaches a consistency that coats the back of a spoon

100ml of Madeira

800ml of chicken stock

9

Remove the sauce from the pan and pass through a muslin cloth, or fine sieve, into a pan. Season to taste

10

For the summer beans, in a large pan sweat the onions in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and haricot beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the tomato juice and stock and bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes – 1 hour until the beans are tender

100g of onion, sliced

50ml of olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

200g of haricot beans

200ml of tomato juice

1l chicken stock

11

Remove the lid, add the chorizo, fresh tomatoes, runner beans, broad beans, green beans, peas and salt and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Just before serving add the fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime

20g of chorizo sausage, diced

4 plum tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cut into petals

40g of runner beans, sliced

80g of broad beans, podded

40g of green beans

40g of fresh peas, shelled

1 pinch of basil, chopped

1 pinch of parsley, chopped

1 pinch of tarragon, chopped

1 lime, juiced

12

To make the bread (you can start this ahead), preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 4. Drizzle the whole garlic heads with olive oil and wrap tightly in tinfoil. Place onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until completely soft. Leave to cool slightly then push each garlic clove individually from its skin. Pass through a fine sieve and weigh out 40g of the roasted garlic

3 bulbs of garlic

1 tbsp of olive oil

13

Dissolve the fresh yeast into the warm water.
Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl then add 30g of the roasted garlic paste. Mix in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, adding the yeast and water bit by bit. Mix the dough for 5 minutes until smooth

30g of fresh yeast

325ml of warm water

450g of strong bread flour

1 tsp salt

14

Cover the dough with a cloth and leave in a warm place to prove for 15–20 minutes. Once proved remove from the bowl and press into a tray rectangular baking tray. Cover with a cloth and leave to prove again for 15 minutes

15

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Bake the bread for 12 minutes until golden brown. Mix together the remaining roasted garlic paste, a little olive oil and the dried thyme and brush over the bread

1 tsp dried thyme

16

To serve place the chicken, sauce, vegetables and tear and share bread on the table and let everyone help themselves

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